IAMC Weekly India Human Rights Monitor (June 13, 2025)

This Week at a Glance 

Eid al-Adha celebrations were strained by a series of mob attacks, prayer restrictions, arrests, threats, and other forms of violence. Indian authorities demolished Muslim homes and centuries-old shrines in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, and ramped up deportations of Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam. In Kolkata, a Muslim man was arrested for reporting hate speech, while a comedian faced legal threats for criticising government policies. This week, we also remember activist Umar Khalid, now approaching five years in jail for speaking out against the CAA. On the US front, IAMC announced an upcoming report on transnational repression, as well as a panel event to celebrate the release of the report. We also hosted a panel event titled “Increased Attacks on Muslims after Pahalgam,” featuring a United Nations Special Rapporteur, and will be featured on a panel hosted by Rutgers Law Center for Security, Race, and Rights next week.

Top Stories

(Freedom House)

IAMC Announces Upcoming Report on India’s Transnational Repression

IAMC announced the upcoming release of a new report on transnational repression by the Modi government against people of Indian origin and Kashmiris living in the US,, including the abuse of activists, journalists, and academics. The report will be released on June 18. You can register for the event here.

United Nations Special Rapporteur Says India Breaching Commitment to Int’l Law

At an event hosted by IAMC on the surge of anti-Muslim violence following the Pahalgam attack, United Nations special rapporteur Nicolas Levrat stated that India is “very obviously” not living up to its commitment to protect its minorities as a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). 

Eid al-Adha Marred by Anti-Muslim Violence 

This year’s Eid al-Adha was marred by a wave of hate crimes targeting Muslims in multiple Indian states. In Assam, 16 people were arrested under the state’s cattle slaughter law, while in Tripura, the home of a Muslim opposition leader was attacked after he criticized police inaction. In Hyderabad and Telangana, Muslims were assaulted by armed mobs chanting Hindu religious slogans, and incidents of mob violence, theft, and arson were reported around Eid-related cattle transport. 

(Biju Boro / AFP)

India Expels Dozens Amid Growing Fears of Arbitrary Deportations

Indian authorities in Assam have deported at least 19 people to Bangladesh this week, with state officials announcing more will follow—regardless of individuals’ prior registration or legal status. Rights advocates warn the expulsions bypass due process and disproportionately target Muslims, while families report loved ones being taken without notice or recourse.

(EPA)

Muslim Man Who Filed Complaint Against Influencer’s Anti-Muslim Remarks Arrested

Wajahat Khan Qadri, a Muslim man who reported influencer Sharmishta Panoli for insulting Prophet Mohammad on social media, was arrested in Kolkata. His arrest, days after Panoli’s release, has sparked concern over targeting those who challenge Hindu supremacist figures rather than hate offenders themselves.

Hate crimes and discrimination in India

This week, in Jharkhand, three Muslim labourers were brutally assaulted by a mob, while in Hyderabad, self-proclaimed cow vigilantes attacked a cattle transporter, sparking communal violence. In Uttarakhand, Hindu extremists threatened Muslims not to hold Eid prayers, forcing them to flee despite police presence. In Pune, officials shut a public garden to block Eid celebrations following a BJP lawmaker’s complaint. Meanwhile, Kerala police booked a pastor after a Pakistan flag, among flags of other nations, was displayed at a Christian event and in Delhi, student activists were detained for protesting Israel’s blockade of Gaza.

Resistance & Organizing

Activists Push Back Against Cow Vigilantism in Bengaluru

Civil society groups in Karnataka’s Bengaluru filed formal complaints and launched a public campaign demanding preventive action against rising cow vigilante attacks targeting Muslims during Eid. The activists succeeded in prompting a suo motu report against a prominent vigilante.

(The News Minute)

Court Grants Bail to Professor Targeted for Criticizing Government

The Allahabad High Court has granted interim anticipatory bail to Dr Madri Kakoti, a University professor and political commentator known online as ‘Dr Medusa’, after she was charged with sedition for posts condemning government inaction and anti-Muslim violence. 

Defender of the Week

(The Quint)

This week, we’re spotlighting Umar Khalid, a Muslim activist and political prisoner, who has now spent nearly five years in prison under India’s draconian anti-terror law, for his courageous activism against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has designated him as a Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Victim.

Voices from the Ground 

“Five years have passed, almost. Half a decade. That’s time enough for people to complete their PhDs and look for jobs, time enough to fall in love, marry and have a baby, time enough for one’s kids to grow beyond recognition, time enough for the world to normalise the genocide in Gaza, time enough for our parents to grow old and feeble.

Is it time enough for our release?”

– Umar Khalid, in a new letter penned from Tihar Jail

IAMC in Action

• IAMC hosted UN Special Rapporteur Nicolas Levrat, Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan, Professor Apoorvanand, and writer & advocate Suchitra Vijayan for a panel event on rising anti-Muslim violence in the aftermath of Pahalgam. Watch the full briefing here, and check out our press release on the event here. 
• We’re continuing to receive applications for the Indian American Youth Council (IAMYC), a new platform for young leaders who are passionate about minority rights, the reclaiming of Indian Muslim pride, and the fight against Hindu supremacist ideology in India and globally. We’re starting off with open applications for Chair and Vice Chair positions in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Texas, and New York. IAMYC is open to college students and young professionals – apply now here, and email youthcouncil@iamc.com with any questions. 
• We’re continuing to catalogue daily hate crimes against Muslims and other minorities in India on our social media. Follow us on X and Instagram to keep up to date on the situation. 

What to Watch Next Week

• We’re gearing up to release our new report on transnational repression, and we’re hosting a virtual panel discussion titled “Silencing Dissent: The Modi Regime’s Transnational Repression in the US” just ahead of the report’s release. Join us on June 18 at 12pm EST – register here. 
• IAMC will be joining Rutgers Law Center for Security, Race, and Rights for an online panel event discussing their new report on Hindutva in America on June 16th at 12pm EST. Stay tuned for more details.
• IAMC’s newest multimedia project, the Indian Muslim Story, is an exploration of Indian Muslim heritage, identity, and current issues. We release new articles each week, so be sure to follow us on Instagram for accompanying graphics and videos.